People are injured every single day as a result of someone else’s action or inaction, and if this happens to you, know that you may have recourse through a personal injury lawsuit. There are countless specific examples of personal injury lawsuits, but they tend to fall under one of three main umbrella topics. In today’s blog, we explore the three main types of personal injury lawsuits, and we explain how you may have grounds to file one of these claims.
Types Of Personal Injury Lawsuits
Personal injury lawsuits tend to fall under one of these three categories:
Negligence – Negligence is far and away the most common type of personal injury case that we see. In order to file a personal injury claim that arises out of negligence, you essentially need to prove that another party had an obligation to keep you safe, and that their action or inaction directly contributed to your injuries. This can happen in any number of ways, but some of the most common we see are:
- Car accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Slip and falls
- Premises liability claims
- Medical malpractice
- Boating accidents
- Trampoline injuries
If someone else had a duty to protect you, or it is reasonable to expect that you would remain uninjured on someone else’s property, and they either directly or indirectly contributed to your injuries, you may have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit that holds the other party accountable for their negligence. Remember, the other party does not need to intend to cause you harm in order for you to have a successful injury claim when citing negligence.
Strict Liability – Strict liability is the arm of personal injury law that protects consumers from defective products. You may have a product liability claim if you were injured by a defective product, so long as you were using the product within a natural and expected scope. For example, if your car’s brake pads turn out to be faulty or a blade snaps on your rotating saw and you are injured, you may hold the company or manufacturer accountable under strict liability law. Similar to negligence, the entity you’re holding responsible under a strict liability claim need not intentionally cause your injuries. Despite their best efforts, a design flaw or quality assurance oversight may have contributed to your injuries, and in these instances, you may move forward with a personal injury lawsuit.
Bonus: Absolute Liability – Absolute liability is a close cousin to strict liability, so while it doesn’t earn its own category, we do want to touch on the subject given how Minnesota handles this type of personal injury lawsuit. Minnesota handles most dog bite claims through absolute liability. This means that you only need to prove that you were not provoking a person’s dog when it bit you. If you can prove this, you will have a valid personal injury claim as a result of absolute liability.
Intentional Injuries – Finally, intentional injuries make up the last branch of common personal injury lawsuits. As you can imagine, what sets these cases apart from the prior two is that you are alleging that the other party intentionally caused your injuries. Proving this type of personal injury claim can also mean that criminal charges will also exist. If you are injured in a bar fight or suckerpunched while waiting for the bus, you may have grounds for both a civil and criminal lawsuit against the perpetrator.
If you believe your injuries stem from one of the above situations and are interested in talking with an attorney about your legal options, reach out to the team at Hey Workers today at (844) 439-9675.
